West Easton delays choice on $52 tax ** Council isn't sure levy is worth the bother.

West Easton Council will delay deciding whether to keep the $52 local services tax until closer to December, according to council President William Concolino.

The tax applies to people who work in the borough. There is a possibility that West Easton will choose not to continue collecting the tax, formerly known as the Emergency Services Municipal Tax, if it means too much work for borough officials.

"There is a possibility if we did away with it," Concolino said last week, "would we attract new businesses to West Easton?"

Borough Manager Jeffery Zettlemoyer said the amount yielded this year in the borough was inflated because the state moved workers from the welfare office in Easton to West Easton during renovations required to the building because of flood damage.

Since the welfare department workers left the borough, other businesses have closed as well. Zettlemoyer said the borough typically collects between $2,000 and $2,300 with the tax, but he would now consider that a high number. If council keeps the tax, it would collect quarterly from businesses, which in turn would deduct $1 per week from each employee.

Workers who earn less than $12,000 a year are exempt from the tax if they provide copies of their previous year's tax returns.

Council, which discussed the tax at its meeting last week, also approved a business privilege license. Anyone who provides services or goods within the borough has to apply for the license. It costs $20 annually. It applies to everything from a contractor putting on a roof to an ice cream truck operator.